Benefits Specialist

The Benefits Specialist plays a key role within the JD North America People Regional Business Services model. The Regional Business Services function holds the responsibility for support to all US businesses within the JD Group, including JD Sports, Finish Line, Finish Line Macy’s, Shoe Palace, Nice Kicks, Downtown Locker Room (DTLR), and Hibbett. This position is responsible for the administration and day to day support of all benefits programs, with an emphasis on supporting employee inquiries with top quality service. This role ensures effective workflows, from systems to complex case management. The Benefits Specialist serves as a subject matter expert, ensuring accurate program delivery, compliance, and high-quality employee experience. Specifically, this role holds the following main responsibilities:

• Oversees day-to-day administration of employee benefits programs, ensuring accuracy, consistency, and compliance.

• Manages complex enrollments, eligibility issues, and exception processing. Act as a subject matter expert on plan provisions, policies, and procedures. Support open enrollment planning and execution, including system validation and issue resolution.

• Serves as the primary escalation point for complex or sensitive employee benefits issues.

• Main point of contact for employees on matters related to health benefits, life, disability, 401k, and PTO programs.

• Research and resolve benefits discrepancies and works cross-functionally on downstream impacts with vendors, payroll, or People Technology/HRIS

• Ensure timely and effective resolution of escalated cases.

• Ensures team provides top tier support to employees with a customer service mindset to quickly resolve inquiries/issues, answer questions, and champion programs.

• Works with benefits vendors and carriers for issue resolution and program administration.

• Provide support monitoring vendor performance and escalates service concerns as needed with benefits leadership.

• Assists with vendor implementations, file feeds, and system integrations.

• Process vendor invoices.

• Performs regular audits and reconciliation of benefits data across HRIS and vendor systems.

• Ensure compliance with applicable regulations (e.g., ACA, ERISA, COBRA, HIPAA); helps with support documentation, reporting, and audit processes.

• Identify opportunities to improve workflows, systems, and employee experience.

• Lead or support projects such as system enhancements, vendor transitions, and program rollouts.

• Documents standard operating procedures and maintains process documentation.

• Supports development of benefits communications and educational materials.

• Executes other duties, projects and requests as assigned.
  

Required Education and/or Experience

Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or related field preferred and at least 2 - 4 years of experience in benefits administration or HR operations. Experience in a large organization or shared services environment is preferred. Workday experience is preferred, but regardless of specific system, must have experience and comfortability with HCMS and other benefits technology platforms. Internal JD Group experience is always preferred.

Required Computer and/or Technical Skills

Should have intermediate to advanced knowledge and abilities with Google based platforms (Sites/Docs/Sheets/Slides/Forms) or Microsoft platform equivalents (Word/Excel/PowerPoint). Must have experience in how to most effectively leverage benefits tools, technology and external vendors to achieve objectives. Workday experience is preferred but not required.

Qualifications

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily and carry out responsibilities in accordance with the organization's policies and applicable laws. The requirements listed are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Physical Demands

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Sit for more than 6 hours per shift

• Use hands to touch, handle, feel and type

• Reach with hands and arms

• Talk and/or hear

• Read information on a computer screen for long periods, review written materials, and communicate visually with others

• Walk or move from one location to another

• Periodically may need to climb, balance, stoop, kneel, or crouch

• Lift and/or move from 10 pounds occasionally

• Punctuality and regular attendance consistent with the company’s policies are required for the position.

• The average work week is 40-50 hours, which can vary depending on business needs.

• The work environment for this position is moderately noisy office setting.

• Travel may be required occasionally, likely no more than 5% of the time.
  

The company reserves the right to modify this job description with or without notice. Employees may be asked to perform additional duties outside of normal job scope on a temporary basis per company policy.

This job description is not intended to cover all aspects, duties, and/or responsibilities required of employees. Employees may be asked to perform additional duties outside of normal job scope on a temporary or permanent basis per company policy. The company reserves the right to modify this job description with or without notice.

EEO Statement:

The Finish Line, Inc. is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer and is committed to complying with all federal, state, and local EEO laws. The Finish Line, Inc. prohibits discrimination against employees and applicants for employment based on race or color, religion or creed, national origin, alienage or citizenship status, marital status, sex, pregnancy status, age, military status, disability, or any other characteristic or class protected by law. The Finish Line, Inc. provides reasonable accommodations in accordance with applicable laws, including for disabilities, pregnancy, and religious practices.

Need accessibility assistance to apply?
Applicants who require accessibility assistance to submit an employment application can either call Finish Line at (317) 613-6890 or email us at talentacquisition@finishline.com. A member of our Talent Acquisition team will respond as soon as reasonably possible. (This email address and phone number is only for individuals seeking accommodation when applying for a job.)